Everybody's talking about him in Brokeback Mountain. Not just that he plays a gay cowboy. But that he can act

Here's a tip: If you're in a jam, find the nearest Heath Ledger fan. They are among the most charitable people in the world--forgiving, long suffering and loyal. How can you tell? Because they have put themselves through some spectacular duds on his behalf. (The Order, anyone? The Four Feathers?) Having captivated them as a rascally but tender heartthrob six years ago with teen catnip like 10 Things I Hate About You and A Knight's Tale, Ledger, 26, then virtually disappeared from the kind of movies they--and almost everyone else--enjoy. The chisel-jawed Australian is decent enough to acknowledge this. "I feel like...